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There's a fair bit of discrepancy around the details of the engineering feat that the Mormons actually performed in order to get their wagons, families and livestock through this gap and down to the river - one suspects a certain amount of Church-sponsored mythologizing here - but if the pioneers lowered even a single wagon down through this cleft, at a 1:1 slope over boulders and drop-offs and through poison ivy, they still accomplished a phenomenal achievement.
It took us nearly a half hour to scramble down the gap to go for our swim, an incredibly refreshing and luxurious indulgence given the harshness of the surroundings. The cloying warmth at the lake's surface could easily be escaped by a quick dive into the chilly layer of water just a few feet below. For a few moments we felt some selfish gratitude that this incredible canyon of the Colorado River had been flooded and destroyed for our personal comfort. Ahhh...
However, our refreshment from the swim was short-lived, dissipated by the tough climb back out in the 95 degree heat. By way of recovery, we took time at the top for a final survey of the whole grand scene. Our expedition down the Hole In The Rock Road of the Escalante could now be truly considered complete, and a success. |
